2 need and options considered - roads and …...metropolitan plan for sydney 2036 in december 2010,...

Schofields Road Upgrade Stage 3 – Veron Road to Richmond Road 11 Review of Environmental Factors

2 Need and options considered

2.1 Strategic need for the proposal The proposal forms part of a broader plan to upgrade Schofields Road between Windsor Road, Rouse Hill and Richmond Road, Marsden Park. The upgrade of Schofields Road is required due to the large amount of development proposed in the surrounding area as part of the North West Growth Centre (NWGC).

The NWGC will comprise of 16 precincts covering an area of about 10,000 hectares and will contain about 70,000 new dwellings for 200,000 people. The NWGC has been divided into precincts to facilitate the orderly release of land over the next 25-30 years (refer Figure Error! No text of specified style in document.-1). The North West Growth Centre Structure Plan (Department of Planning, 2010) provides a blueprint for the detailed planning of individual precincts. Of the four precincts located immediately adjacent to the proposal site, two (Schofields and Marsden Park Industrial) have been rezoned for development and two (Marsden Park and part of Schofields West) have been released for planning. Precincts adjacent to the proposal are discussed further in Section 2.1.1.

A key element of the NWGC is to accommodate future transport needs and provide transport connections between precincts and town centres. Once the proposal and the other stages of the Schofields Road upgrade are complete, Schofields Road would provide a major east-west link across the growth centre between Windsor Road and Rouse Hill town centre in the east and the proposed Marsden Park and Marsden Park Industrial Precincts in the west. The proposal would also assist in providing improved access to the new Schofields Railway Station located to the east of the proposal and the proposed North West Rail Link.

South Street is currently a rural residential road with low traffic volumes with an annual average daily traffic (AADT) figure of around 3,000 vehicles. With the projected development of the surrounding precincts and completion of the east to west Schofields Road corridor, the AADT is projected to increase to 35,000 in 2036. More detailed traffic data is provided in Section 6.1.

At present, Schofields Road does not provide an east-west link through to Richmond Road. This east west link is currently provided by Garfield Road, which is designed to cater for rural traffic volumes, not the traffic volumes anticipated to be generated by the NWGC. These local roads are also flood affected during large storm events. The proposal would provide a secondary flood evacuation route with the upgrade designed to a 1 in 100 year (local and regional) flood event.

Provisions for cyclists and pedestrians are limited in the area and a number of road safety issues exist for motorists. The proposal is needed to address current and future road safety issues by providing a dedicated shared pathway for pedestrians and cyclists, establishing roadside clear zones, dividing carriageways and signalising intersections to meet current standards.


Figure Error! No text of specified style in document.-1 Strategic planning context (Source: NSW Departm ent of Planning, 2013)


2.1.1 Strategic planning background to the proposal

The strategic background to the proposal is drawn from a number of wider strategic plans for NSW, the Sydney Metropolitan Region, the North West Subregion and NWGC and for transport and road infrastructure more generally. Relevant strategic plans and their relevance to the proposal are discussed below.

National Road Safety Strategy 2011-2020

The National Road Safety Strategy 2011–2020 was released on 20 May 2011 by the Australian Transport Council (ATC), with a vision that no person should be killed or seriously injured on Australia’s roads. The strategy presents a 10-year plan to reduce the annual numbers of deaths and serious injuries on Australian roads by at least 30 per cent (ATC, 2011).

The proposal would assist in achieving this aim as the road has been classified as a transit boulevard which sets out requirements for low vehicle speed and increased priority to pedestrian and cyclist movements with provision of dedicated off-road shared paths and signalised crossings.

The proposal also achieves the aims of this strategy through establishing bus priority lanes and bays, roadside clear zones, dividing carriageways and signalising intersections to meet current standards.

NSW Long Term Transport Master Plan

The NSW Long Term Transport Master Plan (Transport for NSW (TfNSW), 2012) sets the direction for transport planning for the next 20 years, providing a framework for transport policy and investment decisions that respond to key transport challenges.

The Master Plan emphasises the importance of integrated planning and the development of new transport networks and upgrading of existing links and services as demand develops in the growth centres. In particular, it identifies that the bus network development in the NWGC will be important to provide more extensive coverage compared to rail and to extend the rail network catchment in order to ensure integrated, flexible public transport coverage for newly developed areas. The integrated planning of bus priority measures with new road infrastructure in growth areas will also be essential for providing competitive bus services and reducing car dependency over the longer term.

The upgrade and extension of Schofields Road between Windsor Road and Richmond Road is identified as a key road project in the Master Plan, to support east-west arterial connections through the NWGC from Riverstone to Schofields and Marsden Park with integrated bus priority.

Corridor preservation for long term transport planning requirements is also identified as a key action in the Master Plan, including the “North West Rail Link Extension – Cudgegong Road to Marsden Park via Schofields’.

NSW 2021: A plan to make NSW number one

NSW 2021: A plan to make NSW number one (NSW 2021) sets the Government's agenda for change in NSW. It is a 10 year plan to rebuild the economy, return quality services, renovate infrastructure, restore accountability to government, and strengthen local environments and communities (NSW Government, 2011). These five core strategies are supported by 32 goals. Transport is one of five sectors of focus under ‘return quality services’. Achievement of various goals identified will be driven by a range of targets and related priority actions. Relevant goals include


improving road safety, investing in critical infrastructure, and protecting our natural environment.

• The proposal design would meet current safety standards and would separate the opposing carriageways and signalise intersections improving safety.

• The proposal would meet the design requirements for a transit boulevard through low vehicle speed and emphasis on safe pedestrian and cyclist movements which would contribute to road safety.

• The proposal itself is an investment in critical infrastructure.

• The proposal design has been prepared to minimise impacts on the natural environment.

The proposal is consistent with NSW 2021 as it assists in achieving these goals.

NSW State Infrastructure Strategy 2012–2032

The NSW State Infrastructure Strategy 2012–2032 was released on 3 October 2012. The Strategy builds on the NSW Government’s existing public commitments and outlines a forward program of more than 70 urban and regional projects and reforms across transport, freight, aviation, energy, water, health, education and social infrastructure that should take priority over the next five, 10 and 20 years (Infrastructure NSW, 2011).

The State Infrastructure Strategy notes that Infrastructure NSW’s assessment of infrastructure capability and forecast demand highlights a number of priorities including reducing congestion of the metropolitan road network and improving public transport services by improving speed, reliability and frequency. The proposal contributes to the achievement of these priorities.

The strategy identifies that over $7.5 billion is required to be spent in the North West and South West Growth Centres (SWGC) for required infrastructure, including roads. These works would be undertaken in line with the staged release of the new areas. The proposal would form part of this expenditure.

The strategy also identifies the projects to be coordinated by the Growth Centres Commission to 2017-18. The upgrade of Schofields Road (of which the proposal forms Stage 3) is listed as one of these projects.

The Schofields Road Upgrade project would support the vision of providing a transport boulevard to enable development of the NWGC through the following outcomes:

• Providing a key corridor for the North West Growth Centre.

• Integrating pedestrians, bicycles, public transport and vehicles in a 60km/h safe urban environment.

• Creating a tree lined corridor which would be responsive to urban design and surrounding landscape character.

• Accommodating projected traffic volumes up to 35,000 vehicles by 2036.

• Reducing travel times.

• Improving accessibility to major arterial roads and transport nodes.

• Improving access for road freight in Sydney's North-West.


• Improving access for pedestrian, bicycle and public transport.

• Improving flood immunity.

• Increasing asset life.

RMS Corporate Delivery Plan 2012 to 2013

The RMS 2012 –13 Corporate Delivery Plan outlines the delivery approach for the first year of the RMS 2012–16 Corporate Strategy. These two documents are intended to clearly outline what RMS would deliver over the coming years. The Corporate Delivery Plan is structured around the transport result areas and contains direct responses to the strategy statements set out in the RMS Corporate Strategy, setting out the deliverables and standards committed to in 2012–13, for example: “Delivery of key infrastructure to support the safe, efficient and reliable movement of people and goods”.

Key infrastructure includes that which supports the development of the Sydney growth centres. The Delivery Plan includes Stages 1 and 2 of the Schofields Road upgrade and the proposal is part of the same corridor and would contribute to the same objective in completing the east-west link and facilitating the NWGC development. The proposal would support the safe, efficient and reliable movement of people and goods in and around the NWGC.

Metropolitan Plan for Sydney 2036

In December 2010, the NSW Government released Metropolitan Plan for Sydney 2036, updating the 2005 Metropolitan Strategy and integrating it with the $50.2 billion Metropolitan Transport Plan to deliver a new 25-year plan for Sydney. The Metropolitan Plan builds on the 2005 Metropolitan Strategy’s ‘City of Cities’ approach which focused on transforming Sydney from a single–centred city to a more connected, multi–centred city in which the ‘Regional Cities’ of Parramatta, Liverpool and Penrith provide a greater proportion of jobs and services for large parts of the metropolitan area (NSW Government, 2010b).

The Metropolitan Plan identifies a need for 770,000 new homes in Sydney between 2006 and 2036, of which up to 30 per cent (around 230,000 homes) will be in greenfield (new release) areas. The plan seeks to focus greenfield development in the North West and South West Growth Centres, and to supply land linked to key infrastructure, supported by parks, bushland, health and education facilities, shops, services and public transport.

The Metropolitan Plan seeks to implement the package of measures in the Metropolitan Transport Plan including major rail expansion projects and road upgrades to increase capacity across the transport system, and ensure that transport corridors are preserved for future growth.

The proposal is consistent with the Metropolitan Plan as it would assist in providing road infrastructure to meet future growth in the NWGC, providing a key east-west link to improve access. The proposal would also result in a key bus corridor that would link the Richmond Railway Line and the proposed North West Rail Link with pedestrians and cyclists. The proposal includes a wide median which would allow for future expansion of the corridor to a six-lane two-way road should demand require it in the future.

Draft Metropolitan Strategy for Sydney to 2031

The draft Metropolitan Strategy for Sydney is the most up-to-date and comprehensive plan yet to manage the growth of Sydney as a critical part of the new planning system for NSW. The strategy will update the current Metropolitan Plan for Sydney to 2036 and land use planning with the Government’s Long Term Transport


Master Plan and State Infrastructure Strategy to ensure new jobs and housing will be delivered at the same time as infrastructure including transport, schools and health services. Until the update is completed, the Metropolitan Plan for Sydney to 2036 continues to shape the future growth of Sydney (NSW Government, 2013).

Two of the nine key ‘city shaper’ strategies relevant to the proposal are the North West Rail Link corridor with new housing and job opportunities focussed around each of the eight new train stations, and the Western Sydney Employment Area with job creation and improved transport connections between the M4 and M7. The proposal will facilitate transport in the North West Subregion and is consistent with the draft strategy.

In 2014, new Subregional Delivery Plans will be drawn up in partnership with the community and local councils as part of the draft Metropolitan Strategy for Sydney, including the West Central and North West Subregion, in which the proposal is located.

North West Subregion: Draft Subregional Strategy

The draft subregional strategy sets out a vision for the management and development of the North West subregion over the next 25 years. The North West Subregion, comprising the Baulkham Hills, Blacktown, Blue Mountains, Hawkesbury and Penrith LGAs, is the largest and fastest growing of Sydney’s subregions. The strategy provides a basis for coordinating planning and economic development, environmental management, open space systems and agreements about baseline targets for dwellings and employment growth between local and State Government (NSW Government, 2007).

One of the key actions for the North West subregion is to improve access to, from and within the subregion, including an action to extend transport networks to support the NWGC. Currently car dependency is relatively high within the subregion and longer distances are travelled per person per day than in most other subregions. Opportunities to improve access and reduce transport congestion, particularly in light of planned population growth and housing development, are important. The proposal would support these activities.

Planned major works for Sydney, including for the North West, are included in the State Infrastructure Strategy (refer Section 2.1). One of the State Infrastructure Strategy projects identified in the North West Subregion Draft Subregional Strategy is (52) Schofields Road (the proposal). The proposal also falls under one of the key directions of the strategy; that major roads in existing areas will need to be upgraded and extended to cater for growth (direction NW D1.2.1). Schofield Road improvements are listed under this direction (NSW Government, 2007). The strategy notes main road upgrades need to include improved walking and cycling access; the proposal is consistent with the strategy as it includes shared off-road pedestrian and cycle paths on both sides of the road as well as signalised crossings for pedestrians and cyclists at all intersections.

North West Growth Centre precinct planning

The NSW Government established the North West and South West Growth Centres of the Sydney region in 2005 to streamline the supply of greenfield land for urban development and coordinate the delivery of infrastructure through the Department of Planning & Infrastructure (DP&I, 2013). The Metropolitan Strategy: City of Cities (2005) sets out the overall strategic vision for the Growth Centres which has been carried forward in subsequent strategic plans.


The North West and South West Growth Centres have been defined as areas which will accommodate 181,000 new dwellings and land for employment for around 500,000 new residents over the next 25 to 30 years (DP&I, 2013). The release of land for residential, employment and other urban development in the growth centres is coordinated under the State Environmental Planning Policy (Sydney Regional Growth Centres) 2006 (refer Section 4.1.2).

The NWGC is around 10,000 hectares located within the local government areas (LGA) of Baulkham Hills, Blacktown and Hawkesbury, and will contain about 70,000 new dwellings for 200,000 people. The majority of the NWGC and Western Sydney Employment Hub (both outcomes of the Metropolitan Strategy) are located within the Blacktown LGA, therefore much of the housing and employment growth within the subregion is planned to occur here. The proposal is within the Blacktown LGA.

The North West Growth Centre Structure Plan provides a blueprint for the detailed planning of individual precincts once they are approved for release by the Department of Planning and Infrastructure and the NSW Government. The precincts relevant to the Schofields Road Upgrade (as shown in Figure Error! No text of specified style in document.-2) include:

• Schofields – rezoned in May 2012, the 456 hectare precinct will deliver capacity for around 2950 new dwellings to accommodate around 8,000 residents. The precinct will feature upgrades to key roads and new pedestrian and cycle links.

• West Schofields – part released for planning March 2013, the 30 hectare section of this precinct will deliver capacity for around 400 new dwellings and will include a major upgrade to Richmond Road.

• Marsden Park Industrial – rezoned in November 2010, the 551 hectare precinct will deliver capacity for around 10,000 jobs and 1,200 homes to accommodate around 3,500 residents. Once developed, the Marsden Park Industrial Precinct will feature 70 hectares of commercial land, 40 hectares of bulky goods retailing, 206 hectares of industrial land and 63 hectares of conservation land and open space.

• Marsden Park – released for planning July 2011, the 1800 hectare precinct is expected to accommodate around 10,000 homes. Marsden Park is also expected to feature a town centre with 30,000 square metres of retail space and around 50 hectares of public recreation space (DP&I, 2013). While the formal exhibition period closed in December 2012 for the draft Precinct Plan, at the time of preparing this REF the Marsden Park Precinct had not been rezoned.

The proposal has been designed to consider the precinct plans including the proposed road hierarchy and intersection layouts.

The Blacktown City Council Growth Centre Precincts Development Control Plan 2010 came into force in May 2010 to ensure the orderly, efficient and environmentally sensitive development of the precincts envisaged by the North West Growth Centre Structure Plan and State Environmental Planning Policy (Sydney Region Growth Centres) 2006. The plan applies to precincts which have had precinct planning completed. The purpose of the DCP is discussed in more detail within Section 4.2.3.


Figure Error! No text of specified style in document.-2 North West Growth Centre precincts (Source: Jac kson Teece, 2013)


North West Transport Corridor Extension (NWTCE)

In December 2012, the NSW Government announced plans to secure a public transport corridor, the NWTCE, from Cudgegong Road to Marsden Park via Schofields, for future generations. The corridor will ensure that the public transport system for the NWGC can be extended in the future to meet any rising demand. This corridor has now been included in the NSW Long Term Transport Master Plan.

TfNSW propose the alignment of the corridor to run parallel to Schofields Road. Table drains and batter slopes would be provided in easements where land has been rezoned and not affected by the NWTCE.

North West Growth Centre Road Framework 2008

The North West Growth Centre Road Framework is an urban design framework for the road system in the NWGC that provides holistic guidelines for its future development (RTA, 2008). The framework proposes a set of objectives and strategies in response to precinct and transport planning proposals for the region. The framework establishes a clear, functional road hierarchy for the strategic road network, with each major road type designed to have a different balance of transport and land service functions to ensure appropriate interfaces with surrounding development.

Schofields Road has been classified as a transit boulevard which would function to connect the principal arterials, Windsor Road and Richmond Road. Unlike principal arterial roads which are high traffic volume roads with a regional function, transit boulevards provide a balance between general traffic, public transport and land service functions (such as pedestrians and cyclists and property access), with lower speeds and traffic volumes. They have a substantial role in identifying and structuring the surrounding urban development and are tree lined to set them apart from other roads. Transit boulevards give priority to buses and also optimise pedestrian and cycle access. The proposal has been designed to meet these requirements (see Section 3.3.1) and is therefore consistent with the framework document.

NSW Bike Plan 2010

Following the Metropolitan Transport Plan’s $158 million commitment to improve urban cycle networks, the NSW Government’s Bike Plan outlines how the NSW Government will work in partnership with local councils, communities and businesses to grow bike-riding over ten years. The NSW Bike Plan includes a number of actions to promote and improve cycling, including provision of shared pedestrian and cycle off-road facilities in all appropriate locations as part of State road projects in the Greater Metropolitan Region (NSW Government, 2010c). The proposal would include shared off-road pedestrian and cycle paths on both sides of the road as well as signalised crossings for pedestrians and cyclists at all intersections, therefore is consistent with the NSW Bike Plan.

Blacktown Planning Strategy

The Blacktown Planning Strategy is Council’s key strategic land use planning document to facilitate and manage future growth and development within the City of Blacktown to 2036. The strategy demonstrates how the directions within the Metropolitan Plan for Sydney 2036 and subregional strategy will be realised and falls under the strategic planning framework for Council, Blacktown City 2025. The strategy plans to accommodate population and employment growth within the new release areas in the NWGC and within established areas around key strategic centres and transport nodes. Schofields Road and South Street are recognised as access roads for the North West precinct of Blacktown City (Blacktown City Council, 2011). The proposal would improve east-west access through the precinct, and


facilitate various transportation modes, which would subsequently allow for population and employment growth, and is considered consistent with the strategy.

Blacktown City 2025

Launched in 2008, Blacktown City 2025 ‘Delivering the Vision Together’ is Blacktown City Council's long term strategic plan which will guide the growth of the city to 2025 and beyond. The plan contains eight key strategies, including ‘Getting Around’, a strategy to provide easy movement around the city. Focus areas to achieve this strategy include:

• Design road networks and infrastructure that are functional and support the needs of all road users including motorists, motorbike riders, pedestrians, cyclists and public transport commuters.

• Provide strategic transport corridors which link major nodes, centres and attractions at a local and regional level (Blacktown City Council, 2008).

The proposal is consistent with this strategy, and therefore consistent with Blacktown City 2025.

2.2 Existing road and infrastructure 2.2.1 The proposal corridor: Schofields Road extension via South Street

The area subject to this proposal is 800 metres of proposed new road corridor between Veron Road and Carnarvon Road and the 1.7 kilometre section of South Street between Carnarvon Road and Richmond Road. Intersections with Richmond Road and Veron Road are not part of this proposal. The alignment of the road corridor is shown in Figure 1-2.

Schofields Road is currently a two-lane two-way rural undivided road with sealed and unsealed shoulders varying on both sides of the road. Centre line marking is provided for the full length of the road, and the posted speed limit is 80 km/h reducing to 60 km/h at the approach to Windsor Road. The existing Schofields Road does not extend into the proposal footprint, however, the proposal would link into Stage 1 and 2 of the Schofields Road Upgrade project to form an extension of the existing Schofields Road. Upgrade of Schofields Stage 1 is currently under construction and due for completion in late 2014. Stage 2 construction is anticipated to commence in 2014.

South Street is a two-lane two-way rural undivided road with gravel shoulders on both sides connecting Carnarvon Road to the east as a priority controlled T-intersection and Richmond Road to the west as a priority controlled four-way intersection. There are no signalised intersections. Centre line marking is provided at the approach with Richmond Road only. The posted speed limit is 60 km/h, and the pavement condition of the existing road is deteriorating. The 800 metre section of new road corridor between Veron Road and Carnarvon Road is greenfields and crosses Eastern Creek.

The existing horizontal geometry is generally straight. The vertical geometry is very flat in the flood plains with some gentle rolling slopes in between.

The corridor crosses two major water courses, Eastern Creek and Bells Creek, each of which have significant upstream catchments and therefore significant flows and flood extents. The road is susceptible to drainage problems and flooding during storm events. Further information is provided in Section 3.3.6. There are no existing bridge crossings. The existing drainage crossings include minor culverts causing the inundation of the road during storm events.


There are no pedestrian or cyclist facilities located along South Street. Parking is unrestricted on the road shoulders and verge area. Lighting is provided at the existing intersections.

Existing utilities comprise water, gas and petroleum (all underground), telecommunications (overhead and below ground) and overhead power lines.

2.2.2 Intersected roads

Heading east-west, the local roads which intersect with the proposal include Veron Road, Carnarvon Road, Fermoy Road and Richmond Road.

Veron Road is a two-lane two-way rural undivided road connecting Argowan Road to the north as a priority controlled T-intersection. Although it is sealed, there is no line marking on this road and the posted speed limit is 60 km/h.

Carnarvon Road is a two-lane two-way rural undivided road connecting to South Street as a priority controlled T-intersection. There is no line marking on this road and the posted speed limit is 60 km/h.

Fermoy Road is an existing two-lane, two-way rural road between Garfield Road and Grange Avenue and does not currently extend to South Street. There is no line marking on the road and the posted speed limit is 60 km/h. This road corridor is intended to be extended south through an intersection with South Street to about 200 metres south of South Street. This extension would be constructed by private developers in the future in accordance with the NWGC road framework, and is outside the scope of this proposal.

Richmond Road is currently a two-lane two-way undivided rural road with edge lines provided in both directions. It connects South Street as a priority controlled four-way intersection. The posted speed limit is 60 km/h. It is proposed for Richmond Road to be upgraded between Bells Creek Bridge, Colebee and the South Creek floodplain. The upgrade would see Richmond Road widened to a four-lane road with provision for six lanes in the future. It is assumed that Richmond Road will be upgraded prior to commencing the proposal.

The intersections with Veron Road and Richmond Road are outside the scope of this proposal and would be constructed as part of Schofields Road Stage 2 upgrade and Richmond Road upgrade, respectively.

2.2.3 Existing drainage

Two major water courses, Eastern Creek and Bells Creek, cross the Schofields Road corridor within the extent of the proposal and are shown on Figure 1-2. Both creeks have significant upstream catchments and therefore significant flows and flood extents at the proposed crossings.

The floodplain at Eastern Creek is about 700 metres wide at the Schofields Road corridor. The proposal also crosses a floodplain about 60 metres wide at the Eastern Creek tributary. The locations of these existing crossings are provided in Table 2-1.

The flood plain at Bells Creek is about 280 metres wide at the Schofields Road corridor.

Table 2-1 Location of watercourse crossings and ex isting structures

Water course Location Existing structure

Eastern Creek 450 m east of Carnarvon None (greenfield area)


Water course Location Existing structure

Road

Eastern Creek tributary

370 m west of Carnarvon Road

One 375 mm diameter concrete pipe

Bells Creek

700 m east of Richmond Road (main low flow channel)

600 m east of Richmond Road (secondary low flow channel)

Two 525 mm diameter concrete pipes

One 450 mm diameter concrete pipe

2.3 Proposal objectives The objectives of the proposal are consistent with the objectives of the broader Schofields Road upgrade project, as follows:

• Contribute to the development of a direct link between Windsor Road and Richmond Road.

• Complement precinct development of the NWGC by developing a road corridor that is consistent with the aims, objectives, controls and design principles of the Blacktown City Council Growth Centre Precincts Development Control Plan 2010.

• Provide a transit boulevard road corridor that will optimise pedestrian and cyclist access and integrate public transport access and travel with other transport modes.

• Facilitate a fit-for-purpose urban landscape beyond the road corridor.

• Provide for an additional future road capacity to accommodate the projected traffic growth.

• Develop an appropriate local access strategy and facilitate traffic flow around and through the proposal area.

• Enhance road safety for all road users.

• Minimise the social and environmental impacts of the development including minimising the need for property acquisition.

• Provide value for money.

2.4 Alternatives and options considered 2.4.1 Background - Windsor Road to Richmond Road strategic corridor

The Blacktown Local Environmental Plan 1988 identified the first corridor alignment for the upgrade of Schofields Road as a route along Townson Road. Refer to Figure 2-3 showing the different corridor alignments considered. Following release of the State Environmental Planning Policy (Sydney Region Growth Centres) 2006 and the North West Growth Centre Structure Plan 2010, a second revised corridor alignment was identified which utilised Grange Avenue.

Subsequently, further investigation in 2010 by the Department of Planning and Infrastructure (DP&I) (then Department of Planning), Blacktown City Council and RMS (then RTA) identified a third corridor alignment, Schofields Road to Richmond


Road via South Street. The Schofields Road/South Street corridor was considered the better performing corridor alignment for the following reasons:

• It was the most direct link between the Rouse Hill regional centre in the east, the new Schofields Railway Station and adjacent new Schofields West precinct, the Marsden Park Industrial Precinct and proposed new Marsden Park Town Centre in the west, and ultimately provides for a future connection to the reserved Werrington Arterial corridor.

• It was consistent with the now rezoned Marsden Park Industrial and Schofields precincts (and the precincts released for planning, Marsden Park and Schofields West (part released)), and the North West Growth Centre Structure Plan 2010.

• It was supported by DP&I (then Department of Planning) and Blacktown City Council.

• The preliminary technical environmental investigations did not identify any major constraints.

The Schofields Road/South Street corridor alignment and strategic concept design for the upgrade of Schofields Road was first presented to the community for comment in April 2010.

Following the April 2010 community display period, RMS (then RTA) prepared a Preferred Corridor Options Report (ngh, 2010) that documented the preferred corridor planning and selection process. It detailed how RMS considered comments from the community and undertook further consultation with key stakeholders including DP&I, TfNSW (then Transport Construction Authority), Landcom, Endeavour Energy (then Integral Energy), Blacktown City Council, The Hills Shire Council, Riverstone Chamber of Commerce and CSI Sport and Recreation Club. This further stakeholder consultation included a value management study in July 2010 to evaluate the community input and to decide on a preferred corridor.

The value management study confirmed the Schofields Road/South Street alignment as the preferred corridor with only minor changes to the alignment displayed in April 2010.


Figure 2-3 Alternative corridor alignments conside red for extension of Schofields Road from Veron Roa d to Richmond Road


The preferred corridor alignment and strategic concept design identified above is between Richmond Road and Windsor Road and relates to Stages 1, 2 and 3 of the Schofields Road upgrade. This proposal only includes Stage 3 (and therefore the following sections of this REF discuss the options within the Stage 3 section of the preferred corridor between Veron Road and Richmond Road).

2.4.2 Methodology for selection of preferred proposal option

A number of proposal options within the preferred corridor were identified by RMS including the ‘do nothing option’. Each option was then assessed against the proposal objectives. The options that were considered are outlined in Section 2.4.3 and the criteria used to evaluate each option are listed below:

• Consistency with NWGC precinct planning.

• Consistency with the project objectives for developing a transit boulevard.


• Improvements to road safety and traffic efficiency along Schofields Road.

• Accommodates existing and future utilities infrastructure.

• Allows for potential future upgrade of Schofields Road to six lanes should it be required.

The advantages and disadvantages of each option are discussed in Section 2.

2.4.3 Identified options

Confirmation of the alignment within the preferred corridor

Following community and stakeholder consultation on the preferred corridor in April 2010 (refer Figure 2-4), a number of options were developed for the alignment within the preferred corridor along South Street. All options outlined below, excluding the ‘do-nothing’ option, extend Schofields Road west from Veron Road through to Richmond Road and include the same key design elements of;

• A four-lane transit boulevard (43 metre road corridor) with wide median to allow for potential future upgrade.

• Two new signalised intersections at Carnarvon Road and the proposed Fermoy Road corridor (approximately 460 metres east of Richmond Road).

• Bridge structures across Eastern Creek and Bells Creek.

• Design required to cater for flood immunity for a 100 year ARI storm event.

The options considered in 2010 are outlined below:

Option 1a – Extend Schofields Road from Veron Road through to Richmond Road along the South Street alignment

Option 1a is the alignment as displayed to the public in April 2010 (refer Figure 2-4). Under this option Schofields Road would be widened evenly either side of the South Street centreline and the majority of South Street would become the proposed wide median.


Figure 2-4 Schofields Road corridor (option 1A) as presented to the community in 2010 (NGH, 2011) (Note: Richmond Road intersection upgrade has since been approved as part of Richmond Road upgrade)


Option 1b –Widen marginally to the north of the existing South Street alignment

This option has the same key design elements as Option 1a except shifted slightly north in an effort to reduce property impacts.

Option 1c –Shift the alignment further to the south of the existing South Street alignment

This option has the same key design elements as Option 1a except shifted to the south in an effort to reduce property impacts.

Option 2 - Do nothing

The do nothing option involves not undertaking the proposal, and retaining the existing road arrangement along South Street. This assumes that Schofields Road upgrade Stages 1 and 2 would be completed and the extension from Veron Road to create a direct east-west link to South Street is not constructed.

Intersection sub-options

Sub-option 1a - Fermoy Road intersection as displayed to the public in April 2010

This option is the intersection as shown in April 2010 (Figure 2-5) approximately 460 metres east of Richmond Road.

Sub-option 1b – Minor adjustment to the angle of Fermoy Road intersection

This option would retain Fermoy Road intersection at the same location however would tilt the angle of the intersection slightly to the west in an effort to reduce property impacts.

Figure 2-5 Fermoy Road intersection sub-option, sh owing the alignment as displayed to the community in April 2010 (Sub-option 1a in red) and the shifted option (Sub-option 1b in blue) (Source: ngh, 2010)


2.4.4 Analysis of options

Options analysis

A basic options analysis was completed in 2010 and is outlined below.

Option 1a – Extend Schofields Road from Veron Road through to Richmond Road along the South Street alignment (preferred option)

Option 1a meets all of the proposal objectives as outlined within Section 2.3. It is consistent with NWGC precinct planning and is the shortest most direct route of all options. 10 houses would be impacted by this option. Once completed this option would provide improvements to road safety and traffic efficiency and facilitate existing and future utilities infrastructure. All options (except the do nothing option) would be designed as a transit boulevard and would provide a large enough corridor to allow for future upgrade.

Option 1b –Widen marginally to the north of the existing South Street alignment

Option 1b is generally consistent with the proposal objectives as outlined within Section 2.3. This option is consistent in principle with the NWGC precinct plan except shifted marginally to the north to reduce property impacts to residents on the southern side of the corridor. Seven houses are impacts (this includes one property not impacted by alternative Option 1A). This shifts the majority of property impacts to the northern side of the corridor and includes impact to Council land. In addition to the outlined objectives, the environmental impacts of Option 1b are potentially worse than option 1a as this option encroaches onto the former Council landfill site and is at greater risk of encountering contaminated land. This would have potential time and cost delays as well as potential environmental and WHS risks. The potential contamination risk may also make it more difficult to accommodate utilities infrastructure (due to possible restrictions ground disturbance).

Option 1c –Shift the alignment further to the south of the existing South Street alignment

Option 1c meets some but not all of the proposal objectives as outlined within Section 2.3. This option is not consistent with NWGC precinct planning and is the least direct route. Property impacts to residents along South Street are lessened (two properties impacted) however property acquisition costs would still be high due to the need to acquire a new road corridor. This alignment would avoid the landfill site. The proposal would still contribute to the objective of improved safety and traffic efficiency (though potentially less efficient when compared to the other options as it is not consistent with NWGC road network plan). Option 1c would also conflict with existing utility infrastructure including a major electricity easement. As the option is inconsistent with NWGC precinct planning, it is also inconsistent with proposed future utilities infrastructure.

Option 2 - Do nothing

The ‘do nothing’ option was not considered appropriate as it would not meet the proposal objectives for developing a transit boulevard and would not result in any improvement to the existing road network which is needed to cater for the projected future growth of the area. The ‘do nothing’ option is not consistent with precinct planning and would not satisfy the RMS obligation to provide a safe road environment. This option would not require any property acquisition and would not impede existing or future utilities infrastructure.


Analysis of sub-options

Sub-option 1a - Fermoy Road intersection as displayed to the public in April 2010

This is consistent with the description within option 1a above meets all of the proposal objectives as outlined within Section 2.3.

Sub-option 1b – Minor adjustment to the angle of Fermoy Road intersection (preferred sub-option)

This option also meets all of the proposal objectives as outlined within Section 2.3 with marginally better outcome with regards to minimising property impact. The shifted angle of Fermoy Road intersection slightly to the west (refer Figure 2-5) was proposed in an effort to reduce property impact. This sub-option would not have any greater environmental impact than the alignment presented to the community in April 2010 (sub-option 1a).

2.4.5 Preferred option

Preferred option

The preferred option, Option 1a, is the same as that presented to the community in April 2010.

The preferred option best meets the objectives of the proposal. Specifically the preferred option would:

• Be consistent with NWGC precinct planning.

• Be consistent with the project objectives for developing a transit boulevard.


• Improve road safety and traffic efficiency along Schofields Road.

• Accommodate existing and future utilities infrastructure.

• Allows for potential future upgrade of Schofields Road to six lanes should it be required.

The preferred corridor for Schofields Road between Tallawong Road and Richmond Road was announced in February 2011 and the Schofields Road: Tallawong Road to Richmond Road Preferred Corridor Options Report was uploaded onto RMS website to be available to the community.

Preferred sub-option

The preferred sub-option, Sub-option 1b, is slightly changed from the design presented to the community in April 2010. It still meets all of the proposal objectives with marginally better outcome with regards to minimising property impact. This change was also captured within the publicly available Schofields Road: Tallawong Road to Richmond Road Preferred Corridor Options Report.

2.4.6 Design refinements

A value engineering workshop was held in December 2012 to review the concept design and was attended by representatives from RMS and TfNSW. The aim of the workshop was to review certain design elements against agreed criteria. This enabled elements of the design to be further refined to better achieve the proposal objectives.

The value engineering workshop assessed options to refine the following design elements:

• Eastern Creek Bridge (structure type and length and drainage options).


• Bells Creek Bridge (structure type and length and drainage options).

• Options for crossing the petroleum and high pressure gas main (the pipeline has a north-south alignment and is located approximately 100 metres east of Carnarvon Road).

• Interface of the road design with Grange Avenue reserve (former landfill site with potential encroachment on leachate ponds).

• Potential indentation of mid-block bus bays.

An additional design refinement (not captured during the Value Engineering workshop) was also included:

• Further refinement to the proposed Fermoy Road intersection alignment.

A summary of the options analysis completed for each of these design refinements is provided below. While each option performed differently relative to each other based on the assessment criteria discussed below, all options addressed the project objectives.

Eastern Creek Bridge

A series of investigations were undertaken to inform the options selection process to determine the preferred bridge type and length and drainage options for Eastern Creek floodplain. This included geotechnical investigations and flood investigations and modelling. All options were assessed against the following criteria:

• Property impact (using the ‘planning’ flood event)

• Urban design

• Environmental impacts

• Constructability

• Maintenance

• Workplace health and safety (WHS)

• Time

• Cost (includes construction cost and property acquisition cost).

The following seven options were investigated to identify preferred bridge length and type:

• Option 1 is a 480 metre bridge with flood relief culvert.

• Option 2 is a 570 metre bridge with flood relief culvert.

• Option 3 is a 480 metre bridge with multi flood relief culverts.

• Option 4 is a 300 metre Super T bridge and flood relief culvert. (refer Figure 2-6 for example of ‘Super T’ bridge).

• Option 5a is a 408 metre Super T bridge and flood relief culvert

• Option 5b is a 422 metre plank bridge and flood relief culvert (slightly longer structure than 5a due to pier spacing). Both 5a and 5b are the currently preferred option awaiting further review during detailed design (refer Figure 2-7 for example of ‘plank’ bridge).

• Option 6 is a 432 metre Super T bridge with flood relief culvert.


All seven options would meet the project objectives. Each avoids pier placement within the main Eastern Creek waterway channel, while Options 1, 2 and 3 were eliminated early and were not considered during value engineering. This was due to excessive cost, conflict with the pipeline easement and significant earthworks to achieve maintenance clearances. The remaining options (Options 4, 5a, 5b and 6) were evaluated against the criteria stated above during the subsequent value engineering workshop.

The value engineering workshop identified a Super T bridge structure as the preferred bridge type based on value for money, urban design and environmental criteria. The preferred length was the 408 metre option (Option 5a) due to environmental considerations (flooding and social impact including comparatively less acquisition) and urban design. The 422 metre plank bridge option (Option 5b) was recognised as a viable option for consideration during the detailed design if environmental and urban design objectives can be met.

Following the value management study, the concept design was further informed by a review of construction staging and sequencing during the 80 per cent concept design constructability review, and additional urban design development including 3D visualisation comparing the 408 metre Super T (Option 5a) and the 422 metre plank bridge (Option 5b) options.

On balance, both Options 5a and 5b were found to provide similar environmental outcomes although it was recommended that the two options be further reviewed during the detailed design phase. The 408 metre Super T bridge option (5a) was found to present alternative construction opportunities for reducing construction risk during flood conditions.

The urban design investigation concluded that both bridge Options 5a and 5b have advantages and disadvantages in terms of urban design and visual appearance. The key points to note are:

• Option 5a, the 408 metre Super T bridge option, has a greater structural depth of the deck and therefore reduced height under the bridge allowing only for blade piers. However, due to the longer span of the bridge girders, the bridge elevation is less cluttered and therefore more open in feel.

• Option 5b, the 422 metre plank bridge option, has a lower structural depth of the deck and therefore allows greater height for the opening below the bridge and a greater number of openings in the piers (portal piers). However the planks have a shorter span and therefore require a greater number of piers which in turn blocks views and renders a ‘cluttered’ appearance in bridge elevation.

At this stage, Option 5b, the 422 metre plank bridge option, was preferred for the concept design due to its lower cost while meeting the project objectives. The final preferred option (5a or 5b) would be selected in the detailed design phase following additional urban design, environmental, cost and constructability reviews.


Figure 2-6 Section view of twin bridges over Easte rn Creek – ‘Super T’ bridge (Appendix A)

Figure 2-7 Section view of twin bridges over Easte rn Creek – ‘plank’ bridge (Appendix A)

Bells Creek bridge options

A series of investigations were undertaken to inform the options selection process to determine the preferred bridge type and length for Bells Creek floodplain. This included geotechnical investigations and flood investigations and modelling. All options were assessed against the same criteria as was used above for the Eastern Creek bridge.

Options considered in the value management study included:

• Bridge type options including Super T or plank.

• Bridge length options including 208 metre or 280 metre span.

A plank bridge was the preferred bridge type option. The governing factor was a higher road level due to thicker superstructure and the need to acquire additional properties due to the impact on adjacent property accesses. The preferred length was the shorter 208 metre span option as it would provide best value for money and meets all the project objectives.


Drainage from Eastern Creek and Bells Creek bridge structures

Two options for drainage off the bridge structures were discussed during the value engineering workshop. They apply to both Eastern Creek and Bells Creek bridge structures and include:

• Option 1 was a longitudinal drainage with downpipes.

• Option 2 was scuppers (small 100 millimetre pipe structure drainage openings) (preferred option).

Both options were evaluated against the following criteria:

• Effective drainage of the bridge structure including under flood conditions.

• Potential visual impact.

• Environmental (scour).

• Maintenance.

Option 1 was the least preferred option because of the risk of the downpipes blocking and requiring more frequent maintenance to effectively convey drainage off the bridge. The downpipes were also considered a risk during a flood event. The downpipes would also add more visual clutter to the bridge structure. Option 2 was the preferred drainage option as the risk of the downpipes blocking would be less than Option 1. This would result in comparatively less maintenance and reduced flood risk. Both Options 1 and 2 would require scour protection at the discharge point, however due to the low height of the bridge structures the amount of scour protection would be roughly the same for both options. The scuppers would also have comparatively less visual impact as there are no associated downpipe structures to the bridge structure.

Crossing the petroleum and high pressure gas pipeli ne located 100 metres east of Carnarvon Road

The proposal crosses a Jemena and Caltex shared utility easement containing a gas trunk main and petroleum pipeline east of Carnarvon Road (refer to Figure 1-2Error! Reference source not found. b). Three options were developed for crossing the petroleum and high pressure gas pipeline. All options were assessed against the same criteria as was used above for the Eastern Creek bridge.

• Option 1 was construction of a concrete protection slab over the easement and designing a diversion in the table drains to avoid drainage issues (preferred option).

• Option 2 was construction of a concrete protection slab over the easement and designing a pump system to convey drainage across the easement.

• Option 3 was to relocate and lower the pipeline.

Option 1, constructing a concrete protection slab and concrete lined drainage diversion, was the preferred option (refer Figure 1-2 and Appendix B for construction drawings). This option has the least cost and safety risk of all options, and meets all project objectives. The slab has less constructability impacts as it would provide protection during construction and operation and ensures both utilities remain operational. This option would have some visual impact from the concrete lined drains. Property and environmental impacts would be similar for all options.

Option 2 has similar impacts to Option 1 however the pump would have comparatively greater maintenance requirements and cost implications.

Option 3 was considered not to be a viable option due to unacceptable safety risks from exposed high pressure gas and fuel and associated welding works. In addition this option


would also cause constructability issues due to an estimated minimum 18 month lead time for design and approvals. This would also require significantly higher cost than the other two options.

Interface of the road design with the boundary of G range Avenue reserve (former landfill site with potential encroachment on landfi ll leachate ponds)

The proposal is located directly adjacent to Grange Avenue Reserve which is a former landfill site (refer Figure 3-8). There are two landfill leachate ponds located along the boundary with the proposal (south-eastern pond and south-western pond). The purpose of these leachate ponds is to collect the groundwater leaching out of the landfill. More detail on the former landfill site and potential contamination risks are discussed in Section 6-4. The interface of the road design with these two leachate ponds was discussed at the value engineering workshop. The following four options were evaluated against the same criteria as was used above for Eastern Creek bridge. It was identified during the workshop that no detailed survey of the pond edge was available and therefore the options would need to be re-evaluated once detailed survey was completed. It was also noted that the options would need to be developed in further consultation with Blacktown City Council.

• Option 1a is to design the proposal using the maximum footprint and would include changes to the cross section footprint to try and achieve a 3.3 metre distance behind the back of the table drain to the boundary of the leachate pond. Additional works may be required to ensure the structural integrity of the pond wall and associated monitoring and maintenance.

• Option 1b is the same as Option 1a though achieves slightly less buffer between the back of the table drain to the boundary of the leachate pond with an estimated 2.3 metres.

• Option 1c is the same as Option 1a though achieves slightly less buffer between the back of the table drain to the boundary of the leachate pond with an estimated 1.5 metres.

• Option 2 is to relocate the leachate pond/s further back into the reserve.

During discussions at the value engineering workshop, Options 1a, 1b and 1c were preferred with option 1a providing the most generous buffer between the proposal and leachate ponds. While they meet the project objectives, it was noted however that these performed worse against the urban design objective as it would potentially require the addition of retaining walls. This would not be in accordance with the transit boulevard design objectives.

Option 2 to relocate the leachate pond/s was least preferred due to comparatively greater option cost and the potential for exposure to contaminants.

After completion of detailed survey and further consultation with Council, Options 1a, 1b, and 1c were found to be viable for the south-eastern pond only and that encroachment onto the south-western pond could not be avoided. Consequently, it was proposed to relocate the south-western pond six metres north of the current location (refer Figure 3-11 and concept design drawings in Appendix B). The proposed location is consistent with Council’s future plans for the reserve and allows space for full perimeter maintenance access and reinstatement of security fencing. Fencing would also be required for the south-eastern pond however due to space constraints would only allow access to three of the four sides of the existing eastern pond. Discussions with Council are ongoing with regards to the leachate ponds.


Consideration of mid-block indented bus bays

During the value engineering workshop the potential inclusion of indented mid-block bus bays into the design was evaluated. This would require widening the road footprint to provide bays to allow buses to pull out of the main traffic lanes without interrupting traffic flow while stopped. The two options include:

• Option 1 is to incorporate mid-block indented bus bays into the proposal design.

• Option 2 would not incorporate mid-block indented bus bays into the design (preferred option).

These two options were assessed against the following criteria:

• Confidence in location

• Traffic impacts

• Safety

• Cost

• Impact to bus travel time

• Catering for all bus types

Option 1 was not preferred as the existing surrounding area is rural residential and the future requirements are not known. As not all of the adjacent precinct plans have been approved there is too much uncertainty with regards to potential future pedestrian needs and any modelling would be considered unreliable. Locations chosen may therefore not be suitable for future needs. The inclusion of these bus bays would also increase the proposal footprint increasing cost and social (land acquisition) impacts. There are also potential safety and traffic issues associated with the buses re-entering the traffic lane though it is anticipated that the low speed design would minimise this risk.

Option 2 was preferred as this would give greater flexibility in allowing bus facilities to be integrated with the development of the adjacent precincts as that occurs and ensures the locations are suitable. This option would also allow for flexibility in meeting pedestrian and commuter needs when these are better understood. This option allows the locations to be selected in consultation with bus providers and ensures that bus facilities can cater for the different bus types.

Fermoy Road intersection realignment

Fermoy Road intersection shifted from approximately 460 metres east of Richmond Road to approximately 400 metres east of Richmond Road. The location of the new signalised intersection was shifted about 60 metres to the west to match with the NWGC precinct plans. Since RMS completed the options analysis in 2010, Marsden Park Industrial precinct was released for planning and rezoned by Department of Planning and Infrastructure. During this rezoning the alignment of Fermoy Road corridor was shifted to the west. Consequently the alignment of Fermoy Road intersection had to be shifted to correspond to the new alignment of Fermoy Road corridor.

The change is shown in Figure 2-8 and is required for the proposal to remain consistent with the NWGC precinct plans.


Figure 2-8 Fermoy Road design refinement, showing the proposed new intersection location over the original sub-options 1a (red) and 1b (blue)

2 need and options considered - roads and …...metropolitan plan for sydney 2036 in december 2010,...

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